Air flow devices



Feb. 4, 1958 r .1, w. KYICE ETAL AIR FLOW- DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2'7. 1952 ATTORNEYS.

J. KICE ETAL AIR FLOW DEVICES Feb. 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27,. 1952 BYM MM ATTORNEYS.

tuated in the extended duct and head structures. .due to the rigid structure of the mixing duct United States PatentjO AIR FLOW DEVICES Application June 27, 1952, Serial No. 296,014 3 Claims. (CI. 98-38) This invention relates to air flow devices and to a flexible resilient duct employed therewith. The invention is particularly useful in the mixing of air streams within an air flow device mounted within a hollow wall, as, for example, between stud spaces within a wall. Other uses of the invention will be apparent.

In apparatus heretofore employed for the mixing of currents of air with room air, as, for example, mixing a stream of highly heated air with room air or heating a stream of chilled air with room air, air noises in the mixing device have presented a serious problem. Further, in some installations the sound due to the blower is accen- Further, and the heads therefor, it has been necessary to cut through the entire wall to provide a space for the insertion of the metal cabinet or mixer casing. Adjusting the length of the mixer cabinet to meet the demands of a room which is to be heated or the structure of the wall in which the device is to be fitted have also presented problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a structure in which a flexible duct is employed which dampensair noises due to the turbulent flow of air streams and sounds due to the blower, while at the sametime providing a structure which may be readily installed and involving a minimum of cutting of the wall space. Yet another object is to provide in such a blender or air mixing device a flexible duct which may be collapsed and drawn within a narrow opening in the Wall to reach a lower outlet inthe wall, the duct being so formed and being resilient so as to spring into a shape substantially fitting the wall space when released within the interior of the wall. Yet

another object is to provide a method and means for forming a duct useful for these purposes and which may be r'eadily collapsed, but upon being released will assume a predetermined open position. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wall structure receiving an air mixing device embodying our invention; Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the flexible duct being inserted into an opening in the wall; Fig. 3, a view showing the cabinet installed within the stud space of a wall; Fig. 4, a perspective view of a flexible duct embodying our invention; Fig. 5, a plan view of a mat of material prior to the forming of the same into a duct, perforations being formed in the mat along the lines of fold; Fig. 6, an enlarged broken detail sectional view showing the perforation through the mat; Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the mat bent at the point of the perforation; and Fig. 8, a broken perspective view of a modified form of mat structure showing the mat bent along a perforated line.

In the illustration given, 10 designates a lower duct head or inlet box formed of metal or other suitable material. An inlet pipe 11 extends through the lower end of the box or head 10 and may be provided with a control 2,821,896 "Patented Feb. 4, 1958 damper 12. The box is provided with an upwardlyextending neck portion 13 which may be equipped with outwardly-struck teeth or lugs 14. The front of the box may be provided with a grille 15.

At the top of the mixer device is an outlet head or box 16 which may be provided with turning vanes 17, if de sired, and the front of the head may be provided with a grille 18. The box is provided with a downwardlyextending neck portion 19, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The headers 10 and 16 are shown in greater detail in the co-pending application of Jack M. Kice, Serial No. 193,477, filed November 1, 1950, but in the present structures we terminate thenecks 13 and 19 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In the practice of the present invention, we connect the neck 13 of the head 10 and neck 19 of the head 16 by a flexible duct 20.

The flexible duct 20 in the illustration given is formed of glass fibers and is fabricated as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. A mat or batt of glass fibers 21 is perforated along the fold lines 22, 23, 24, and 25, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and then the mat is folded into the rectangular shape shown in Fig. 4. The flap portion 26 is then connected to the adjacent side by the use of staples 27, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

By forming short cuts or perforations 28 in the batt 21, as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, we found that the batt could be shaped in the rectangular form illustrated in Fig. 4 without substantially weakening the duct structure. The perforation 28, as illustrated in Fig. 7, permits a hinging action at each corner of the rectangular duct 20 and the resilient glass fiber structure tends to assume the rectangular shape shown in Fig. 4, when it is released. In other words, the natural resiliency of the fiber structure causes it to spring outwardly, when released from compression, to the shape shown in Fig. 4, and the per forations along the fold lines enable the structure to maintain the substantially rectangular shape illustrated.

It will be understood that the duct 20 may be formed of other suitable material which is flexible and resilient. Various types of treated fibers which render them soundabsorbing and resistant to heat while also providing thermo-insulation, may be employed. We prefer to employ glass fibers because of their unusually good sound absorbing qualities, high thermo-insulation and resilience, the resilience being sufficient to cause the structure, after it has been collapsed, to spring back into an open ductlike position. If desired, the glass fibers may be bonded with a suitable resin, such as, for example, a phenolformaldehyde condensation resin, etc.

The flexible duct 20 may be secured to the necks of the headers 10 and 16 by any suitable means. Adhesive may be employed if desired to fix the ends of the duct 20 to the necks 13 and 19. If desired, the metal body of the neck may be struck outwardly to provide thongs or barbs 14 which tend to hold the flexible duct 20 in position, as illustrated in Fig. 4 or, if desired, a metal or fiber strap 29 may be drawn about each end of the duct 20 adjacent the necks 13 and 19 and the strap secured by a suitable clamp 30.

The air mixer device may be installed between the stud spaces of a wall, as the building is being fabricated, as illustrated in Fig. 3; the duct 20 fits between the studs 31, and the heads 10 and 16 project forwardly so that when the inner wall of the room is constructed the inlets and outlets communicate with the room space.

In buildings already constructed, it is merely necessary to form an upper opening 32 and a lower opening 33, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The flexible duct 20 may be drawn through one opening and downwardly or upwardly to the next opening and the heads 10 and 16 

